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No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Welcome to National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day!
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on Naval Station Pearl Harbor, located in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day remembers and honors the 2,403 citizens of the United States who lost their lives there that day. Veterans and citizens have commemorated the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor since it took place, but the day became an official observance when Congress designated the day with a joint resolution on October 3, 1984. The resolution authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States "to observe this solemn occasion with appropriate ceremonies and activities" and "to pledge eternal vigilance and strong resolve to defend this Nation and its allies from all future aggression." Accordingly, President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation 5286 on December 4, 1984. Subsequent Congresses and presidents have passed resolutions and issued proclamations for the day. On the day, flags are flown at half-staff until sunset to honor those who died from the attacks. Events, including a commemoration ceremony, are held at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.
SU News
Jim Boeheim and Jay Wright, both Hall of Famers, will meet each again as former Big East foes Syracuse and Villanova play at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Syracuse basketball vs. Villanova: Former Big East rivals meet at Madison Square Garden (PS; $; Waters)
It will feel like old times on Tuesday night when two former Big East rivals meet at Madison Square Garden.
The Syracuse Orange (5-3) will face former Big East foe Villanova (6-2) in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic double-header at the Garden. The first game will feature Tennessee against Texas Tech.
Syracuse and Villanova were members of the Big East from 1980, when Villanova joined the league in its second year, until 2013, when Syracuse left for the ACC. This will be the first meeting between Syracuse and Villanova since the 2014-15 season. Villanova won that game 82-77 in overtime in Philadelphia.
The Orange has won its two most recent games, beating Indiana in double-overtime and then ending Florida State’s 25-game home win streak against ACC competition.
Villanova has won three in a row. The Wildcats’ two losses have been at No. 4 UCLA and against No. 1 Purdue on a neutral court. The loss to UCLA was in overtime and the margin against Purdue was just six points.
Both teams are led by Hall of Fame coaches ― Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Villanova’s Jay Wright, who was inducted into the Hall earlier this year.
The matchup of Syracuse and Villanova puts a spotlight on the ramifications of conference realignment. Syracuse has struggled, relative to its past success, since joining the ACC, while Villanova has ascended in the revamped Big East, winning NCAA championships in both 2016 and 2018.
Here are 5 key things to know about Tuesday’s game:
Villanova’s 3-point game
Villanova’s lineup of 3-point shooters will put Syracuse’s 2-3 zone to the test.
Villanova ranks 6th in the country in both 3-point field goal percentage (42.2%) and 3-pointers made per game (11.8).
The Wildcats’ best shooter is 6-3 grad student Collin Gillespie, who is 30-for-64 (46.9%) from beyond the arc this season. Brandon Slater, a 6-7 senior, is also making 46.9% of his threes, going 15-for-32.
Then there’s 6-4 junior Justin Moore, who has gone 18-for-45 (40%) from 3-point range this season. Jermaine Samuels an Caleb Daniels are both making 37% of their 3-point attempts.
Even 6-8 center Eric Dixon is 5-for-7 from the 3-point line.
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Beat writers all predict close Syracuse loss vs. No. 6 Villanova (DO; Staff)
Syracuse won back-to-back games for just the second time this season last week, defeating Indiana in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge before snapping Florida State’s 25-game home winning streak on Saturday. That brings the Orange into their toughest nonconference test yet: 6-2, No. 6 Villanova on Tuesday night, with the two teams meeting in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
The Wildcats have won three consecutive games since falling to No. 1 Purdue on Nov. 21, and their only other loss came against No. 4 UCLA. Collin Gillespie leads them in scoring with 17.8 points per game, while three other starters are averaging double-digit points, headlining an offensive group that ranks No. 4 nationally in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Here’s what The Daily Orange’s beat writers think will happen in Syracuse’s first game at Madison Square Garden since the 2018-19 season.
Andrew Crane (3-5)
Born to run (MSG version)
Villanova 85, Syracuse 74
A win against Villanova would mean that the Orange defeated Indiana, Florida State and the Wildcats within a seven-day span and completely changed the trajectory of their season heading into the bulk of conference play. The 1-1-3 zone has helped, but it’s only a matter of time before teams figure out how to attack that defensive wrinkle and mitigate its impact. That game will come on Tuesday — Villanova won’t make just 4-of-30 shots from beyond the arc like Florida State did, that’s for sure. Since neither team turns to their bench all that often, with the Wildcats ranking 324th and Syracuse ranking 351st in bench minutes, per KenPom, this game will likely come down to who stays out of foul trouble at the key positions. I don’t trust the Orange in that area just yet, so look for Villanova to pull away late in a high-scoring, fast-paced game for its seventh win by a double-digit margin this season.
Roshan Fernandez (4-4)
Out of magic…for now
Villanova 80, Syracuse 78
I picked Syracuse to lose the Indiana game and I was wrong. Then I picked Syracuse to lose the Florida State game, and I was wrong again. So I’m very skeptical about making the same mistake three times in a row, but I’m going to make it anyway. Villanova ranks fourth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency and is a very good 3-point shooting team (seventh in the nation in 3-point percentage). That’s a good recipe to beat the Syracuse zone, and despite the 1-1-3 adjustment that seems to be working when used sporadically, the Orange were very lucky that Florida State’s shots simply weren’t falling. They didn’t play well defensively against Indiana, either. Boeheim said bluntly after the game that ”our defense isn’t good enough, period. End of story.”
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SU has improved its rebounding; that plus other intriguing Orange stats (PS; Ditota)
The progress, thus far, has been incremental.
But for Syracuse, any indication of improved rebounding ability would be welcomed news.
The Orange, for years, has taken up space in the basement of defensive rebounding percentage statistics. SU ranked 339th nationally in that category last season. Over the past six seasons, the Orange holds an average ranking of 320th in defensive rebounding percentage. (For the uninitiated, that means Syracuse is giving up a lot of offensive rebounds.)
This year, after a solid showing on the boards at Florida State, SU ranks 241st in defensive rebounding percentage. The Orange is 12th in the ACC in that category.
And while all of this might seem underwhelming, it is nonetheless good news from a Syracuse perspective. Thus far, this is Syracuse’s best defensive rebounding team since 2015, when Rakeem Christmas and Tyler Roberson grabbed a lot of missed shots.
“Better,” SU coach Jim Boeheim said when asked to evaluate his team’s rebounding after the win over FSU. “We gotta keep getting better. That’s an area that obviously we have to improve on.”
Cole Swider is averaging 6.88 rebounds per game, which ranks him 12th in the ACC. Jimmy Boeheim averages 6.18 rebounds per game, tied for 19th in the league. Swider grabbed 10 rebounds on Saturday; Jesse Edwards had 12 boards in 30-plus minutes.
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photo courtesy of Getty images
Syracuse Basketball: Jim Boeheim is Already Overworking His Players – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; May)
It’s no secret that Jim Boeheim likes to run a tight ship. The head coach rarely goes deep into his bench, usually running a seven or eight man rotation. This season he is taking that same mentality to a new extreme.
Syracuse is just eight games into its season and Boeheim is already overworking his players. Look no further than the most recent box score for some supporting evidence. Against Florida State, all five starters played 30 or more minutes. Jesse Edwards played the fewest because he fouled out. Symir Torrence led bench players with just 12 minutes, then Frank Anselem tallied eight and Benny Williams only saw two minutes.
This has been a trend all season long. No reserve is playing more than 16 minutes per game, and those averages are dropping each and every contest.
If you want some more stats, here you go. Buddy Boeheim ranks 13th in the entire country in minutes percentage at 93%. Only 12 other players in Division I men’s basketball have played more than him! He’s only gotten a breather for 7% of all the minutes through the first eight games. Not to mention, Buddy isn’t out there just fooling around. He is getting hounded when he’s on offense and playing a big role on defense.
The other starters aren’t too far behind Buddy. Jimmy Boeheim is at 82.4%, Joe Girard is at 80% and Cole Swider is at 79.7%. All of those are within the top 300 of DI players, of which there are around 4,500.
It doesn’t take a genius or a mathematician to understand these numbers and realize they are way too high, especially for this early in the season. Coach Boeheim, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to agree.
Syracuse and Villanova Go Head-to-Head for the First Time since 2014 (waer.org; Spector)
“We’re ready for it,” said Girard. “We’re just taking each game, each day at a time just preparing. We’re going to go back to the drawing board, back to practice and do the same thing we do every week.”
The Orange and the Wildcats have a tremendous history from SU’s Big East days. SU is 39-32 (0.549) all-time against Villanova, and the two teams met most recently in 2014 when Syracuse lost 82-77. In that matchup, the Orange committed 27 fouls and three Wildcats scored over twenty points.
While both teams have a rich history, the game will be taking place in a historic venue. Madison Square Garden, deemed the most famous arena, has hosted numerous college and NBA battles. More specifically, it hosts the Big East Tournament, and Syracuse and Villanova have had clashes in the bracket before. The Wildcats won that matchup in 2002 by a score of 78-64 in the Big East Tournament.
This matchup carries a lot of weight for Syracuse fans due to Villanova being an old Big East rival, but it is also a game that has been marked on forward Cole Swider’s calendar ever since he transferred from Villanova to Syracuse. The senior has strived in his time at SU, most recently putting up a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Florida State. However, it was a tough decision for the Villanova transfer. Swider notes that the extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 played a factor in his decision.
“I had a feeling [Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels] would use that extra year…it was all about finding an opportunity to do the things that I knew I could do,” said Swider on the Locked On Syracuse Podcast. “Coming back to a team with a bunch of veteran guys…there wasn’t a lot of opportunity that I felt was good for me.”
Gillespie and Samuels did end up using that extra year and staying with head coach Jay Wright and the Wildcats. Gillespie averages nearly 18 points per game, while Samuels averages 12 points and six rebounds per contest.
In his junior year at Villanova, Swider averaged nearly 20 minutes per game, but at SU that number has skyrocketed. In nearly 33 minutes per contest, the Rhode Island native averages over 13 points and seven rebounds per matchup in Orange. Swider looks to build on the opportunity against his former team tomorrow. Game starts at 9:30, and WAER’s coverage begins at 9 with Countdown to Tipoff.
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The Sun’s Arizin: NET Rankings Place Villanova Top 5 (vuhoops.com; Reilly)
Happy Game Day Nova Nation! The Wildcats travel to their favorite home away from home this evening to take on old Big East Rival Syracuse in Maddison Square Garden. The game will be the night cap of the Jimmy V Classic, and features a matchup with familiar foes in Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim and former Wildcat Cole Swider. We’ve got tons of preview articles in the links below, so today we’ll focus a little more on the unveiling of the NCAA’s NET rankings.
For those of you not aware, the NET is the primary tool used by the NCAA selection committee to evaluate teams for the Tournament. It’s by no means a perfect system, and the reason it hasn’t been released until a month into the season is that early returns are not always as accurate as the formula will be when we get to March. Hence you’ll see things like Wyoming up at #12 and UCLA all the way down at #33. Don’t worry, that’ll get worked out.
As for Villanova, they find themselves ranked #5 overall in the country despite two early losses. The NET doesn’t really penalize teams for “good” or Quad 1 losses as long as they can pair them with quality wins, and Villanova already has one of those in their neutral court victory over Tennessee. Additionally, the Wildcats are in line for eight more shots at Q1 wins (six of those being top tier Q1 opportunities) as the rankings stand today per bracketologists.com.
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Shackleford: Despite limitations, Syracuse is a 'very good team' - The Juice Online (thejuice; Cheng)
Syracuse basketball’s season is in full swing, and we caught up with Orangemen basketball legend Dale Shackleford to get his take on SU in this week’s The Juice on the Cuse Podcast, presented by SNY.tv.
Shackleford was a four-year starter from 1975-1979, played all five positions as a freshman, and saw the transition of the team from Roy Danforth to Jim Boeheim. So far, he likes Boeheim’s current batch of players, though it’s a very different type of team than he’s used to.
“Syracuse has a very good team,” Shackleford said. “If they’re on, they’re going to shoot the lights out. They can shoot with the best of them.”
But Shackleford also pointed out the team has its limitations.
“Defensively, we’re not very athletic, so we have to compensate in other ways,” he said. “Guys have got to hustle and make sure we’re positioned right.”
Shackleford also chatted about a wide variety of topics from the modern ‘positionless’ era of basketball, to student-athletes being able to profit off name, image and likeness, and what he thinks of the transfer portal.
He also spoke about how Boeheim has developed as a coach over time. When Shackleford played under Boeheim, he rarely yelled, unlike Boeheim’s demeanor toward certain players in recent times.
Shackleford shared one of his favorite anecdotes as to why.
“A young man’s mother was said to him, ‘Why are you always yelling at my son?'” Shackleford said. “And (Boeheim) said, ‘Well, the reason why I yell at your son is because you never did.'”
These days, Shackleford hosts The Salt & Pepper Sports Talk Show, a weekly show recorded in Delray Beach. He’s also an assistant basketball coach at Cardinal Gibbons in Fort Lauderdale.
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Syracuse Basketball: This coming week, Orange is back in the old Big East (itlh; Adler)
When word broke years ago that Syracuse basketball and other Orange sports would move from the Big East Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference, I had mixed emotions.
I’ve been a huge Orange hoops fan since my days as a student at Syracuse University in the late 1990s, and the Big East was all I ever knew.
But I also understood that the landscape in collegiate athletics was shifting, and that big-time football and lucrative television contracts necessitated a relocation from the Big East to a Power 5 conference, and in the case of the ‘Cuse, this was the ACC.
And as much as I would miss the old Big East, I did look forward to Syracuse basketball, hopefully, forging some fun and fierce rivalries with high-profile programs such as Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Louisville, among others.
Since the Orange joined the ACC for the 2013-14 campaign, the ‘Cuse has slogged its way through conference competition in many stanzas. That’s no secret. The Orange, however, has engaged in some epic league contests, whether against Duke or other ACC foes.
For one week, though, Syracuse basketball is reliving its Big East days.
The upcoming six days, my friends, should prove nostalgic and entertaining. That’s because the Orange will go toe to toe with two of its long-time Big East rivals, Villanova and Georgetown.
Sure, these encounters are now deemed non-conference meetings, but honestly, who cares? The ‘Cuse is playing the Wildcats and the Hoyas in the span of five days, and I’m ecstatic about it. Of course, if Syracuse basketball could go 2-0 or at least 1-1 in these affairs, I’d be even happier.
First up, on Tuesday night, the Orange will square off with Villanova as part of the 2021 Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Wildcats are a top-10 team and a Final Four contender, so this is a daunting task for Syracuse basketball.
For me, though, it doesn’t get any better than the ‘Cuse and a former Big East nemesis at the world’s most famous arena, in the Big Apple.
Well, that’s not entirely accurate. On Saturday afternoon, the Orange will travel to our nation’s capital for a date with those hated Hoyas. In all reality, for me personally, I actually don’t despise Georgetown, because D.C. is my hometown city.
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Villanova vs Syracuse: 2021-22 Jimmy V Classic game preview, TV schedule (bustingbrackets.com; Loose)
Villanova and Syracuse meet in New York for the Jimmy V Classic; will the Wildcats keep rolling or can the Orange pull out a signature win?
Villanova (6-2) has looked the part of a top team this season, even if the results haven’t always been there. The Wildcats have dropped a pair of games to elite teams, but have taken care of business for the most part, running off three straight wins since a tough loss to now top-ranked Purdue. The Wildcats will be looking to get a marquee win to add to their resume.
Senior guard Collin Gillespie (17.8 ppg, 3.5 apg) remains the player to watch, leading the Wildcats in scoring in each of their last three games, with a 26-point effort at Penn standing out. Junior guard Justin Moore (15.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is a fantastic rebounder from the backcourt, while senior forward Brandon Slater (14.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg) is always a threat on both ends of the court.
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Syracuse Basketball: First NET ranking has a ton of room for improvement (itlh; Adler)
The NCAA’s NET ratings, one of the primary tools used in evaluating teams for the Big Dance, was released on Monday for the first time during the 2021-22 campaign, so let’s take a look at where things stand for Syracuse basketball.
It’s important to consider that these NET rankings are going to fluctuate throughout the season, so while the Orange’s inaugural placement isn’t all that rosy, the ‘Cuse will have plenty of opportunities to move up.
In the first set of NET ratings, which covered games through December 5, the Orange (5-3, 1-0) checked in at No. 117 across the country.
Yeah, I know, that’s not super great. But it could be a lot worse, given that the ‘Cuse was 3-3 before two critical wins over the past week.
Syracuse basketball has a huge chance to bolster its NET on Tuesday night.
Over the last week, the Orange defeated Indiana on the Hill in double-overtime as part of the 2021 ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and then the ‘Cuse squeaked by Florida State on the road.
For reference, the Hoosiers were No. 56 in the first NET rankings, and the Seminoles were No. 77. By the way, here’s an excellent article that explains in detail what these ratings actually mean.
Moving the needle forward a bit, Syracuse basketball will go toe to toe with former Big East Conference rival Villanova on Tuesday evening at the 2021 Jimmy V Classic in New York City.
The Wildcats are No. 5 in the NET, so if the Orange could pull off an upset on a neutral floor, that would be massive for the team’s post-season resume.
A few days later, Syracuse basketball travels to Washington, D.C., for a date on Saturday afternoon with another former Big East rival, Georgetown.
The Hoyas are at No. 247 in the NET ratings, so a road triumph by the Orange doesn’t do a whole lot right now, but certainly, Georgetown could improve its ranking over the course of the 2021-22 stanza.
As far as other prior results, the ‘Cuse has beaten Drexel, Arizona State and Lafayette. None of those wins are great at this juncture, as Drexel is No. 175, Arizona State is No. 221 and Lafayette is No. 308.
Meanwhile, Syracuse basketball lost to Colgate at home, and also to VCU and Auburn in the Bahamas. Colgate, at present, is a bad loss, as the Raiders are No. 146. Auburn is No. 16, with VCU at No. 72. Since both setbacks were at a neutral site, neither defeat is bad at this point.
If you’re interested in some of the Orange’s other upcoming games, and where these opponents arrived in the NET rankings, Duke is No. 10, North Carolina is No. 26, Wake Forest is No. 31, Virginia Tech is No. 40, Louisville is No. 53, Virginia is No. 70, Cornell is No. 99 and Lehigh is No. 326.
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Other
Keith Urban performs "Wild Hearts" at the 55th annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
New concerts coming to Upstate NY: Keith Urban, T.I., Weird Al, Chicago, more (PS; Herbert)
Several new concerts have been announced in Upstate New York, including country superstar Keith Urban, rapper T.I. and parody king “Weird Al” Yankovic.
Urban will perform at CMAC in Canandaigua, N.Y., on July 10. Fellow country singer Ingrid Andress will open the show at 7 p.m. as part of Urban’s first tour in four years.
“I’ve always considered myself a live performer first,” said Urban, whose hits include “Somebody Like You,” “Making Memories of Us” and “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.″ “It’s what I’ve always done and it’s what my music needs to live and breathe. Our shows are all about living in the moment. They’re a totally interactive and immersive experience where everyone can participate in whatever way they want - sing, dance, do whatever.”
Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.
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T.I. will perform at del Lago Resort & Casino’s Vine Showroom in Waterloo, N.Y., on Friday, Jan. 14, at 8 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m. The hip-hop star, actor and reality TV personality is known for hits “Whatever You Like,” “Live Your Life” (feat. Rihanna), “Bring ‘Em Out,” “Rubber Band Man,” “My Love” (with Justin Timberlake) and “Blurred Lines” (with Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams).
Tickets for T.I. go on sale this Friday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. at https://dellagoresort.com/entertainment/#upcoming-events.
Other upcoming shows at del Lago’s Vine Showroom include Breaking Benjamin Unplugged on Dec. 18, Scotty McCreery on Jan. 22, Fuel on Jan. 28, comedian Ronny Chieng on Feb. 4, Andy Grammer on Feb. 5 and Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators on March 5.
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“Weird Al” Yankovic announced 133 tour dates Friday, including four in Upstate New York. “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour” will focus on the polka comedy legend’s deeper cuts and fan favorites over his popular parodies.
“This is a scaled-down tour with limited production (no costumes, props, or video screens) in smaller theatres and more intimate settings, and Al’s setlist will be comprised almost entirely of his original (non-parody) songs,” Yankovic said.
Yankovic will perform at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie on April 26, The Egg in Albany on April 27, the Kodak Center in Rochester on April 11, and the Artpark amphitheater in Lewiston on July 29. Ticket info is available at weirdal.com.
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And Chicago is going on a co-headlining tour with Brian Wilson, the co-founder and legendary songwriter of The Beach Boys. Chicago and Wilson will perform at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on July 14 and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in Saratoga Springs on July 17.
Tickets are on sale now through Live Nation.
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On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on Naval Station Pearl Harbor, located in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day remembers and honors the 2,403 citizens of the United States who lost their lives there that day. Veterans and citizens have commemorated the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor since it took place, but the day became an official observance when Congress designated the day with a joint resolution on October 3, 1984. The resolution authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States "to observe this solemn occasion with appropriate ceremonies and activities" and "to pledge eternal vigilance and strong resolve to defend this Nation and its allies from all future aggression." Accordingly, President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation 5286 on December 4, 1984. Subsequent Congresses and presidents have passed resolutions and issued proclamations for the day. On the day, flags are flown at half-staff until sunset to honor those who died from the attacks. Events, including a commemoration ceremony, are held at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.
SU News
Jim Boeheim and Jay Wright, both Hall of Famers, will meet each again as former Big East foes Syracuse and Villanova play at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Syracuse basketball vs. Villanova: Former Big East rivals meet at Madison Square Garden (PS; $; Waters)
It will feel like old times on Tuesday night when two former Big East rivals meet at Madison Square Garden.
The Syracuse Orange (5-3) will face former Big East foe Villanova (6-2) in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic double-header at the Garden. The first game will feature Tennessee against Texas Tech.
Syracuse and Villanova were members of the Big East from 1980, when Villanova joined the league in its second year, until 2013, when Syracuse left for the ACC. This will be the first meeting between Syracuse and Villanova since the 2014-15 season. Villanova won that game 82-77 in overtime in Philadelphia.
The Orange has won its two most recent games, beating Indiana in double-overtime and then ending Florida State’s 25-game home win streak against ACC competition.
Villanova has won three in a row. The Wildcats’ two losses have been at No. 4 UCLA and against No. 1 Purdue on a neutral court. The loss to UCLA was in overtime and the margin against Purdue was just six points.
Both teams are led by Hall of Fame coaches ― Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Villanova’s Jay Wright, who was inducted into the Hall earlier this year.
The matchup of Syracuse and Villanova puts a spotlight on the ramifications of conference realignment. Syracuse has struggled, relative to its past success, since joining the ACC, while Villanova has ascended in the revamped Big East, winning NCAA championships in both 2016 and 2018.
Here are 5 key things to know about Tuesday’s game:
Villanova’s 3-point game
Villanova’s lineup of 3-point shooters will put Syracuse’s 2-3 zone to the test.
Villanova ranks 6th in the country in both 3-point field goal percentage (42.2%) and 3-pointers made per game (11.8).
The Wildcats’ best shooter is 6-3 grad student Collin Gillespie, who is 30-for-64 (46.9%) from beyond the arc this season. Brandon Slater, a 6-7 senior, is also making 46.9% of his threes, going 15-for-32.
Then there’s 6-4 junior Justin Moore, who has gone 18-for-45 (40%) from 3-point range this season. Jermaine Samuels an Caleb Daniels are both making 37% of their 3-point attempts.
Even 6-8 center Eric Dixon is 5-for-7 from the 3-point line.
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Beat writers all predict close Syracuse loss vs. No. 6 Villanova (DO; Staff)
Syracuse won back-to-back games for just the second time this season last week, defeating Indiana in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge before snapping Florida State’s 25-game home winning streak on Saturday. That brings the Orange into their toughest nonconference test yet: 6-2, No. 6 Villanova on Tuesday night, with the two teams meeting in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
The Wildcats have won three consecutive games since falling to No. 1 Purdue on Nov. 21, and their only other loss came against No. 4 UCLA. Collin Gillespie leads them in scoring with 17.8 points per game, while three other starters are averaging double-digit points, headlining an offensive group that ranks No. 4 nationally in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Here’s what The Daily Orange’s beat writers think will happen in Syracuse’s first game at Madison Square Garden since the 2018-19 season.
Andrew Crane (3-5)
Born to run (MSG version)
Villanova 85, Syracuse 74
A win against Villanova would mean that the Orange defeated Indiana, Florida State and the Wildcats within a seven-day span and completely changed the trajectory of their season heading into the bulk of conference play. The 1-1-3 zone has helped, but it’s only a matter of time before teams figure out how to attack that defensive wrinkle and mitigate its impact. That game will come on Tuesday — Villanova won’t make just 4-of-30 shots from beyond the arc like Florida State did, that’s for sure. Since neither team turns to their bench all that often, with the Wildcats ranking 324th and Syracuse ranking 351st in bench minutes, per KenPom, this game will likely come down to who stays out of foul trouble at the key positions. I don’t trust the Orange in that area just yet, so look for Villanova to pull away late in a high-scoring, fast-paced game for its seventh win by a double-digit margin this season.
Roshan Fernandez (4-4)
Out of magic…for now
Villanova 80, Syracuse 78
I picked Syracuse to lose the Indiana game and I was wrong. Then I picked Syracuse to lose the Florida State game, and I was wrong again. So I’m very skeptical about making the same mistake three times in a row, but I’m going to make it anyway. Villanova ranks fourth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency and is a very good 3-point shooting team (seventh in the nation in 3-point percentage). That’s a good recipe to beat the Syracuse zone, and despite the 1-1-3 adjustment that seems to be working when used sporadically, the Orange were very lucky that Florida State’s shots simply weren’t falling. They didn’t play well defensively against Indiana, either. Boeheim said bluntly after the game that ”our defense isn’t good enough, period. End of story.”
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SU has improved its rebounding; that plus other intriguing Orange stats (PS; Ditota)
The progress, thus far, has been incremental.
But for Syracuse, any indication of improved rebounding ability would be welcomed news.
The Orange, for years, has taken up space in the basement of defensive rebounding percentage statistics. SU ranked 339th nationally in that category last season. Over the past six seasons, the Orange holds an average ranking of 320th in defensive rebounding percentage. (For the uninitiated, that means Syracuse is giving up a lot of offensive rebounds.)
This year, after a solid showing on the boards at Florida State, SU ranks 241st in defensive rebounding percentage. The Orange is 12th in the ACC in that category.
And while all of this might seem underwhelming, it is nonetheless good news from a Syracuse perspective. Thus far, this is Syracuse’s best defensive rebounding team since 2015, when Rakeem Christmas and Tyler Roberson grabbed a lot of missed shots.
“Better,” SU coach Jim Boeheim said when asked to evaluate his team’s rebounding after the win over FSU. “We gotta keep getting better. That’s an area that obviously we have to improve on.”
Cole Swider is averaging 6.88 rebounds per game, which ranks him 12th in the ACC. Jimmy Boeheim averages 6.18 rebounds per game, tied for 19th in the league. Swider grabbed 10 rebounds on Saturday; Jesse Edwards had 12 boards in 30-plus minutes.
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photo courtesy of Getty images
Syracuse Basketball: Jim Boeheim is Already Overworking His Players – Orange Fizz – Daily Syracuse Recruiting News & Team Coverage (orangefizz.net; May)
It’s no secret that Jim Boeheim likes to run a tight ship. The head coach rarely goes deep into his bench, usually running a seven or eight man rotation. This season he is taking that same mentality to a new extreme.
Syracuse is just eight games into its season and Boeheim is already overworking his players. Look no further than the most recent box score for some supporting evidence. Against Florida State, all five starters played 30 or more minutes. Jesse Edwards played the fewest because he fouled out. Symir Torrence led bench players with just 12 minutes, then Frank Anselem tallied eight and Benny Williams only saw two minutes.
This has been a trend all season long. No reserve is playing more than 16 minutes per game, and those averages are dropping each and every contest.
If you want some more stats, here you go. Buddy Boeheim ranks 13th in the entire country in minutes percentage at 93%. Only 12 other players in Division I men’s basketball have played more than him! He’s only gotten a breather for 7% of all the minutes through the first eight games. Not to mention, Buddy isn’t out there just fooling around. He is getting hounded when he’s on offense and playing a big role on defense.
The other starters aren’t too far behind Buddy. Jimmy Boeheim is at 82.4%, Joe Girard is at 80% and Cole Swider is at 79.7%. All of those are within the top 300 of DI players, of which there are around 4,500.
It doesn’t take a genius or a mathematician to understand these numbers and realize they are way too high, especially for this early in the season. Coach Boeheim, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to agree.
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Syracuse and Villanova Go Head-to-Head for the First Time since 2014 (waer.org; Spector)
An old Big East rivalry makes its return when Syracuse and Villanova clash at Madison Square Garden this week. However, there is more to this matchup. WAER’s Ben Spector explains.
Syracuse has had its fair share of tough competition this season. The Orange have lost to VCU and a ranked Auburn squad. However, SU also took down an Indiana team that was undefeated at the time and ACC powerhouse Florida State. Tuesday’s matchup against sixth-ranked Villanova might be the toughest test for SU so far though. The Wildcats sit at 6-2, with both losses coming at the hands of top three opponents: top-ranked Purdue and third-ranked UCLA. Guard Joe Girard made sure to note that while Villanova is a talented opponent, it’ll just be another day in the office.“We’re ready for it,” said Girard. “We’re just taking each game, each day at a time just preparing. We’re going to go back to the drawing board, back to practice and do the same thing we do every week.”
The Orange and the Wildcats have a tremendous history from SU’s Big East days. SU is 39-32 (0.549) all-time against Villanova, and the two teams met most recently in 2014 when Syracuse lost 82-77. In that matchup, the Orange committed 27 fouls and three Wildcats scored over twenty points.
While both teams have a rich history, the game will be taking place in a historic venue. Madison Square Garden, deemed the most famous arena, has hosted numerous college and NBA battles. More specifically, it hosts the Big East Tournament, and Syracuse and Villanova have had clashes in the bracket before. The Wildcats won that matchup in 2002 by a score of 78-64 in the Big East Tournament.
This matchup carries a lot of weight for Syracuse fans due to Villanova being an old Big East rival, but it is also a game that has been marked on forward Cole Swider’s calendar ever since he transferred from Villanova to Syracuse. The senior has strived in his time at SU, most recently putting up a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Florida State. However, it was a tough decision for the Villanova transfer. Swider notes that the extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 played a factor in his decision.
“I had a feeling [Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels] would use that extra year…it was all about finding an opportunity to do the things that I knew I could do,” said Swider on the Locked On Syracuse Podcast. “Coming back to a team with a bunch of veteran guys…there wasn’t a lot of opportunity that I felt was good for me.”
Gillespie and Samuels did end up using that extra year and staying with head coach Jay Wright and the Wildcats. Gillespie averages nearly 18 points per game, while Samuels averages 12 points and six rebounds per contest.
In his junior year at Villanova, Swider averaged nearly 20 minutes per game, but at SU that number has skyrocketed. In nearly 33 minutes per contest, the Rhode Island native averages over 13 points and seven rebounds per matchup in Orange. Swider looks to build on the opportunity against his former team tomorrow. Game starts at 9:30, and WAER’s coverage begins at 9 with Countdown to Tipoff.
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The Sun’s Arizin: NET Rankings Place Villanova Top 5 (vuhoops.com; Reilly)
Happy Game Day Nova Nation! The Wildcats travel to their favorite home away from home this evening to take on old Big East Rival Syracuse in Maddison Square Garden. The game will be the night cap of the Jimmy V Classic, and features a matchup with familiar foes in Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim and former Wildcat Cole Swider. We’ve got tons of preview articles in the links below, so today we’ll focus a little more on the unveiling of the NCAA’s NET rankings.
For those of you not aware, the NET is the primary tool used by the NCAA selection committee to evaluate teams for the Tournament. It’s by no means a perfect system, and the reason it hasn’t been released until a month into the season is that early returns are not always as accurate as the formula will be when we get to March. Hence you’ll see things like Wyoming up at #12 and UCLA all the way down at #33. Don’t worry, that’ll get worked out.
As for Villanova, they find themselves ranked #5 overall in the country despite two early losses. The NET doesn’t really penalize teams for “good” or Quad 1 losses as long as they can pair them with quality wins, and Villanova already has one of those in their neutral court victory over Tennessee. Additionally, the Wildcats are in line for eight more shots at Q1 wins (six of those being top tier Q1 opportunities) as the rankings stand today per bracketologists.com.
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Shackleford: Despite limitations, Syracuse is a 'very good team' - The Juice Online (thejuice; Cheng)
Syracuse basketball’s season is in full swing, and we caught up with Orangemen basketball legend Dale Shackleford to get his take on SU in this week’s The Juice on the Cuse Podcast, presented by SNY.tv.
Shackleford was a four-year starter from 1975-1979, played all five positions as a freshman, and saw the transition of the team from Roy Danforth to Jim Boeheim. So far, he likes Boeheim’s current batch of players, though it’s a very different type of team than he’s used to.
“Syracuse has a very good team,” Shackleford said. “If they’re on, they’re going to shoot the lights out. They can shoot with the best of them.”
But Shackleford also pointed out the team has its limitations.
“Defensively, we’re not very athletic, so we have to compensate in other ways,” he said. “Guys have got to hustle and make sure we’re positioned right.”
Shackleford also chatted about a wide variety of topics from the modern ‘positionless’ era of basketball, to student-athletes being able to profit off name, image and likeness, and what he thinks of the transfer portal.
He also spoke about how Boeheim has developed as a coach over time. When Shackleford played under Boeheim, he rarely yelled, unlike Boeheim’s demeanor toward certain players in recent times.
Shackleford shared one of his favorite anecdotes as to why.
“A young man’s mother was said to him, ‘Why are you always yelling at my son?'” Shackleford said. “And (Boeheim) said, ‘Well, the reason why I yell at your son is because you never did.'”
These days, Shackleford hosts The Salt & Pepper Sports Talk Show, a weekly show recorded in Delray Beach. He’s also an assistant basketball coach at Cardinal Gibbons in Fort Lauderdale.
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Syracuse Basketball: This coming week, Orange is back in the old Big East (itlh; Adler)
When word broke years ago that Syracuse basketball and other Orange sports would move from the Big East Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference, I had mixed emotions.
I’ve been a huge Orange hoops fan since my days as a student at Syracuse University in the late 1990s, and the Big East was all I ever knew.
But I also understood that the landscape in collegiate athletics was shifting, and that big-time football and lucrative television contracts necessitated a relocation from the Big East to a Power 5 conference, and in the case of the ‘Cuse, this was the ACC.
And as much as I would miss the old Big East, I did look forward to Syracuse basketball, hopefully, forging some fun and fierce rivalries with high-profile programs such as Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Louisville, among others.
Since the Orange joined the ACC for the 2013-14 campaign, the ‘Cuse has slogged its way through conference competition in many stanzas. That’s no secret. The Orange, however, has engaged in some epic league contests, whether against Duke or other ACC foes.
For one week, though, Syracuse basketball is reliving its Big East days.
The upcoming six days, my friends, should prove nostalgic and entertaining. That’s because the Orange will go toe to toe with two of its long-time Big East rivals, Villanova and Georgetown.
Sure, these encounters are now deemed non-conference meetings, but honestly, who cares? The ‘Cuse is playing the Wildcats and the Hoyas in the span of five days, and I’m ecstatic about it. Of course, if Syracuse basketball could go 2-0 or at least 1-1 in these affairs, I’d be even happier.
First up, on Tuesday night, the Orange will square off with Villanova as part of the 2021 Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Wildcats are a top-10 team and a Final Four contender, so this is a daunting task for Syracuse basketball.
For me, though, it doesn’t get any better than the ‘Cuse and a former Big East nemesis at the world’s most famous arena, in the Big Apple.
Well, that’s not entirely accurate. On Saturday afternoon, the Orange will travel to our nation’s capital for a date with those hated Hoyas. In all reality, for me personally, I actually don’t despise Georgetown, because D.C. is my hometown city.
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Villanova vs Syracuse: 2021-22 Jimmy V Classic game preview, TV schedule (bustingbrackets.com; Loose)
Villanova and Syracuse meet in New York for the Jimmy V Classic; will the Wildcats keep rolling or can the Orange pull out a signature win?
TV schedule: Tuesday, December 7, 9:00 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
We’re getting an exciting basketball game in New York City between two strong programs, but the Jimmy V Classic is about more than just basketball, with the Jimmy V Foundation dedicated to raising money to fund cancer research and to one day defeat cancer altogether. On the court, we’ve got one pretty elite basketball team facing off against a strong one who they’re all too familiar with over the years.Villanova (6-2) has looked the part of a top team this season, even if the results haven’t always been there. The Wildcats have dropped a pair of games to elite teams, but have taken care of business for the most part, running off three straight wins since a tough loss to now top-ranked Purdue. The Wildcats will be looking to get a marquee win to add to their resume.
Senior guard Collin Gillespie (17.8 ppg, 3.5 apg) remains the player to watch, leading the Wildcats in scoring in each of their last three games, with a 26-point effort at Penn standing out. Junior guard Justin Moore (15.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is a fantastic rebounder from the backcourt, while senior forward Brandon Slater (14.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg) is always a threat on both ends of the court.
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Syracuse Basketball: First NET ranking has a ton of room for improvement (itlh; Adler)
The NCAA’s NET ratings, one of the primary tools used in evaluating teams for the Big Dance, was released on Monday for the first time during the 2021-22 campaign, so let’s take a look at where things stand for Syracuse basketball.
It’s important to consider that these NET rankings are going to fluctuate throughout the season, so while the Orange’s inaugural placement isn’t all that rosy, the ‘Cuse will have plenty of opportunities to move up.
In the first set of NET ratings, which covered games through December 5, the Orange (5-3, 1-0) checked in at No. 117 across the country.
Yeah, I know, that’s not super great. But it could be a lot worse, given that the ‘Cuse was 3-3 before two critical wins over the past week.
Syracuse basketball has a huge chance to bolster its NET on Tuesday night.
Over the last week, the Orange defeated Indiana on the Hill in double-overtime as part of the 2021 ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and then the ‘Cuse squeaked by Florida State on the road.
For reference, the Hoosiers were No. 56 in the first NET rankings, and the Seminoles were No. 77. By the way, here’s an excellent article that explains in detail what these ratings actually mean.
Moving the needle forward a bit, Syracuse basketball will go toe to toe with former Big East Conference rival Villanova on Tuesday evening at the 2021 Jimmy V Classic in New York City.
The Wildcats are No. 5 in the NET, so if the Orange could pull off an upset on a neutral floor, that would be massive for the team’s post-season resume.
A few days later, Syracuse basketball travels to Washington, D.C., for a date on Saturday afternoon with another former Big East rival, Georgetown.
The Hoyas are at No. 247 in the NET ratings, so a road triumph by the Orange doesn’t do a whole lot right now, but certainly, Georgetown could improve its ranking over the course of the 2021-22 stanza.
As far as other prior results, the ‘Cuse has beaten Drexel, Arizona State and Lafayette. None of those wins are great at this juncture, as Drexel is No. 175, Arizona State is No. 221 and Lafayette is No. 308.
Meanwhile, Syracuse basketball lost to Colgate at home, and also to VCU and Auburn in the Bahamas. Colgate, at present, is a bad loss, as the Raiders are No. 146. Auburn is No. 16, with VCU at No. 72. Since both setbacks were at a neutral site, neither defeat is bad at this point.
If you’re interested in some of the Orange’s other upcoming games, and where these opponents arrived in the NET rankings, Duke is No. 10, North Carolina is No. 26, Wake Forest is No. 31, Virginia Tech is No. 40, Louisville is No. 53, Virginia is No. 70, Cornell is No. 99 and Lehigh is No. 326.
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Keith Urban performs "Wild Hearts" at the 55th annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
New concerts coming to Upstate NY: Keith Urban, T.I., Weird Al, Chicago, more (PS; Herbert)
Several new concerts have been announced in Upstate New York, including country superstar Keith Urban, rapper T.I. and parody king “Weird Al” Yankovic.
Urban will perform at CMAC in Canandaigua, N.Y., on July 10. Fellow country singer Ingrid Andress will open the show at 7 p.m. as part of Urban’s first tour in four years.
“I’ve always considered myself a live performer first,” said Urban, whose hits include “Somebody Like You,” “Making Memories of Us” and “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.″ “It’s what I’ve always done and it’s what my music needs to live and breathe. Our shows are all about living in the moment. They’re a totally interactive and immersive experience where everyone can participate in whatever way they want - sing, dance, do whatever.”
Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.
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T.I. will perform at del Lago Resort & Casino’s Vine Showroom in Waterloo, N.Y., on Friday, Jan. 14, at 8 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m. The hip-hop star, actor and reality TV personality is known for hits “Whatever You Like,” “Live Your Life” (feat. Rihanna), “Bring ‘Em Out,” “Rubber Band Man,” “My Love” (with Justin Timberlake) and “Blurred Lines” (with Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams).
Tickets for T.I. go on sale this Friday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. at https://dellagoresort.com/entertainment/#upcoming-events.
Other upcoming shows at del Lago’s Vine Showroom include Breaking Benjamin Unplugged on Dec. 18, Scotty McCreery on Jan. 22, Fuel on Jan. 28, comedian Ronny Chieng on Feb. 4, Andy Grammer on Feb. 5 and Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators on March 5.
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“Weird Al” Yankovic announced 133 tour dates Friday, including four in Upstate New York. “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour” will focus on the polka comedy legend’s deeper cuts and fan favorites over his popular parodies.
“This is a scaled-down tour with limited production (no costumes, props, or video screens) in smaller theatres and more intimate settings, and Al’s setlist will be comprised almost entirely of his original (non-parody) songs,” Yankovic said.
Yankovic will perform at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie on April 26, The Egg in Albany on April 27, the Kodak Center in Rochester on April 11, and the Artpark amphitheater in Lewiston on July 29. Ticket info is available at weirdal.com.
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And Chicago is going on a co-headlining tour with Brian Wilson, the co-founder and legendary songwriter of The Beach Boys. Chicago and Wilson will perform at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on July 14 and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in Saratoga Springs on July 17.
Tickets are on sale now through Live Nation.
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